How Etali's Favor Forces Value Trades in Commander

In TCG ·

Etali's Favor enchantment aura art from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Red tempo, big draws, and the art of value trades in Commander

If you’ve ever lurked in the Command Zone long enough, you know red isn’t shy about tempo, damage, and the occasional reckless gamble. Etali's Favor takes that philosophy and gives it a twist: an aura that sits on a creature you control, creating a mini engine that turns a single combat step into a cascade of value—sometimes for you, sometimes as a tactical pressure on your opponents. For just {2}{R}, this enchantment enters the battlefield, enchants your chosen creature, and immediately rewards you with a Discover that can snowball into follow-up threats or answers. The enchanted creature also gets +1/+1 and trample, which means even when you’re trading one-for-one, you’re often delivering extra damage through the trampling wall you’ve built. 🧙‍♂️🔥

In Commander, “forcing value trades” often means turning an ordinary combat into a sequence where your opponents must decide whether to commit more blockers, overextend into removal, or cede the initiative. Etali's Favor helps you do exactly that. The Discover ability acts like a mini-Demonic Tutor for the top of your library, but with a red twist: you exile cards until you find a nonland card with mana value 3 or less, and then you either cast it for free or add it to your hand. The rest of the exiled cards go to the bottom in a random order. That means you can fetch a cheap threat, a cheap instant-speed answer, or even a mana ramp spell that accelerates your project toward a bigger attack next turn. The flow is fast, and the tempo check is real—especially when your enchanted beater is already large enough to threaten a clean swing. ⚔️

“Red’s strength is tempo married to scared-yet-brilliant value plays. Etali's Favor embodies that blend: it profits from aggressive moments and punishes indecision.”

Strategies to force value trades with Etali’s Favor

  • Enchant a premier beater on turn two or three and armor it with Etali’s Favor. A 3/3 or 4/4 with trample is a lot to chew through, especially when there’s a Discover engine feeding you cheap instants or creatures. If your opponent blocks, you’re not just passing through damage—you’re simultaneously discovering a tool you can use to flip the exchange in your favor. 🧙‍♂️
  • Stack the Discover to fetch answers find a low-cost removal or protection spell (think red’s efficient cheap answers) and cast it for free. That creates situation after situation where you don’t just trade blows—you erase threats, tempo your opponents, and keep your hand replenished for the next push. The rest of the discovered cards can be pitched to the bottom or drawn later if you choose to hold them, keeping you in control of the game’s pace. 🔥
  • Calibrate your threats for multi-player standoffs In a 3–6 player game, forcing two or three players to react to a single, amplified threat can tilt the board in your favor. The aura’s +1/+1 and trample make a single swing feel disproportionately threatening, pushing opponents toward blocking or chump-block trades that give you more time and options to sculpt the next turns. 🧲
  • Pair with cheap catalysts Red decks leaning on Etali’s Favor love cheap spells that generate impact without draining resources. Detecting a 3-mana or less nonland spell from the Discover pool—be it a burn spell, a fodder creature, or a cheap combat trick—lets you keep pressure on the board while you sculpt your evolving battlefield. The key is to keep a balance between aggressive draws and the inevitability of responsive plays from opponents. 🎲

Of course, there’s a responsibility that comes with this kind of power. Etali’s Favor is a tool, not a protection spell. If you overextend without a plan, you can be punished by mass removals or a focused answer to your enchanted beater. That's where the play discipline matters: you don’t just want to discover a free spell; you want to discover the exact spell that keeps your plan rolling, whether that’s a secure blocker, a way to push through lethal damage, or a cheap board wipe that buys you another turn. The design, after all, rewards smart tempo and purposeful fetches. 🎨

From a lore perspective, Etali—an ancient, fiery force connected with Ixalan’s trials—embodies risk and reward in equal measure. The aura’s ability captures a moment of swift, tactical decision-making, a theme red players have always enjoyed: the thrill of choosing, the courage to commit, and the art of turning a lucky draw into a swath of advantage. The Lost Caverns of Ixalan provides a flavorful backdrop for a card that’s both practical on the table and evocative in its narrative. And yes, the card’s rarity as common makes it a surprisingly accessible toolkit for new players building their first red Commander deck, while still offering depth for veterans who enjoy the puzzle of value trades. 💎⚔️

Practical deck-building notes

  • Include several low-cost spells you’re happy to cast for free with Discover (both for tempo and for emergencies).
  • Choose a convenient commander pool that benefits from a red aura with bite—think entities that swing big or create immediate pressure.
  • Balance your hand with draw spells and card filtering to maximize the odds of hitting a live Discover target when Etali’s Favor hits the battlefield.
  • Don’t forget to protect your investment. A well-timed removal spell or a bounce effect can keep your key beater alive longer, turning a single combat into multiple rounds of board pressure.

As you can see, Etali's Favor is not just a cute pun on a fiery titan’s name. It’s a functional engine for red commanders that thrives on tempo and selective hand growth. Its Discover trigger can turn a single enchantment into a suite of options, enabling you to choose the path that leads to favorable engagements and, ultimately, favorable trades on the ladder of multiplayer politics. And if you’re a collector who loves the tactile joy of a well-played red line, the aura’s design—bright, aggressive, and purposeful—feels true to MTG’s core experience: high-stakes decisions, dramatic turns, and the satisfying moment when you outmaneuver opponents with lean, efficient tools. 🧙‍♂️💥

Neon Slim Phone Case for iPhone 16 Glossy Lexan Finish

More from our network